Police prepared for St. Patrick's Day shenanigans
Although Main Street was lined with partygoers clad in green before noon Tuesday, the Mount Pleasant Police Department said St. Patrick's Day 2015 seemed to be quieter than in previous years.
Public Information Officer Jeff Browne said the day began fairly calmly. Central Michigan Life accompanied Officer Browne on a portion of his afternoon patrol during St. Patty's Day.
When there is a heavy police presence, crowds tend to disperse naturally. Although MPPD cannot place officers on every street corner all day, there is an increased police presence in the area of Michigan and Main streets, where students gathered outside of fraternity houses.
"Drunk people love fireworks," Browne said. "It's easy to lob a firecracker into the street from a crowd without getting caught, but it's dangerous for cars and pedestrians."
Two other squad cars sat near the corner of Main and Broadway Street to diffuse crowds who had been throwing firecrackers into the street. As Browne was driving down Michigan Street heading east a firecracker exploded a few yards away from his driver's side door. Browne brought his patrol car to a stop and waited for two other squad cars to arrive and corral the crowds. A few more firecrackers exploded in the street, with no apparent source. After close to fifteen minutes of the squad cars maintaining a position in front of the homes, the crowds voluntarily dispersed and the fireworks ceased.
"People seem to think that there's a magic force field between the sidewalk and their lawns that police cannot cross," Browne said. "Just because you're drinking on your lawn, doesn't mean the police cannot approach you if you are breaking the law."
When the presence of a few squad cars is not enough, police have to force crowds to disperse. Browne's next stop was at United Apartments on Douglas Street where residents were throwing beer bottles across the parking lot. Three squad cars arrived on the scene where a couple of hundred students were gathered in the parking lot between apartment units. People were gathered on the hoods of cars in front of the apartments, hurling bottles into the center of the crowd, littering the street with broken glass. Officers waded into the crowd from three separate corners, ordering everyone to leave or go inside their apartments.
A fan of law enforcement, partying in front of 910 Douglas Street, tried to share a drink with the officers. He insisted Browne, "take a sip of my beer, dude. I like your haircut."
Browne declined the offer and ordered the individual to go back into his residence, but armed with liquid courage the man continued to insist that the officers share a beer with him until he was escorted back inside.
A few other drunk partygoers were shouting insults and antagonizing officers, hollering, "What the problem is, cops?"
"They get drunk and start shouting at you for attention," Browne said. "If you give it to them, they usually just cool down."
Browne spoke with residents at the apartments and advised them to keep the individuals shouting at police out of their properties for the rest of the day.
"Being a cop isn't just about busting people," Browne said. "Sometimes you try to advise people to keep them from getting in trouble in the first place."
Officers also try to keep the parties from harming themselves.
"One thing we see a lot of is people partying on their roof," Browne said. "It's a housing code violation, which is a misdemeanor, but more importantly, we don't want anyone getting drunk and falling off their roof."
The drinking culture surrounding St. Patrick's Day can be dangerous not only for the safety of people who are partying, Browne said, but also those just caught in the crossfire.
Officers do not immediately issue citations to people partying on their roofs, but after owners have been warned once officers will cite anyone seen on the roof. Browne stopped at 808 Washington St. to remind the owners of the housing code.
"I actually met the owner and spoke with him at the beginning of the year," Browne said. "Sometimes people need to be reminded of the rules."
The last call Browne responded to on his patrol was a report of a minor who was overly intoxicated at West Campus Village. Officers and emergency medical technicians loaded the girl, who was fading in and out of consciousness, into an ambulance without citing her or the residents for any alcohol violations.
"Our chief concern is safety," Browne said. "I'd rather keep everyone safe and not write any tickets than cite a lot of people and have a lot of injuries."
